Elegtric-light fixture



2 Sheets-Sheet v1.

Patented sept. 19,411893.

(N'o Model.) I 1 z snets-sneet 2.

B. F. FLINT. l.ELEGTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE. No. 505,097. 'Patented Sept. 19,1893.

i e A i W gif UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

BENJAMIN F. FLINT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,097, datedSeptember 19, 1893. Application filed .Tune 17,1893. Serial No. 477,898.(No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. FLiNT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ciucinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-LightFixtures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention comprises a novel arrangement of electric lights forproducing a brilliant and attractive illumination of show windows,signs, dac., the method of carrying the invention into practice being,as follows: A horizontal shaft is freely suspended at such a heightwithin a window as will produce the most effective results, and thefront end of this shaft is provided with a cluster of lights, the globesof which may be of various colors, so as to afford concentric belts orzones of tints when the shaft is revolved at avery high speed. Thissuspension is accomplished by means of light, wire-cords that passaround grooved pulleys on the lamp shaft, and also around similarpulleys on a driving shaft, the latter being located in a compartmentover the window, so as to be concealed. The driving shaft may beoperated by any suitable motor, and when it is revolved, the wire-cordsnot only transmit motion to the lamp shaft, but also carry the electriccurrents that produce the light, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings,-Figure l is a vertical section of the upperpart of a show window provided with the preferred arrangement of myelectric lights. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the apparatustaken in the plane of one of the suspension cords or' bands. Fig.Bisalongitudinal section through the lamp shaft and its pulleys, thecentral portion of the shaft being broken away. Fig. 4. is a frontelevation of the cluster of lights.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the upper part of a show window, orother place to be illuminated, and B is a glass front of the same. O isa horizontal partition at the top of the window to support a drivingshaft I), journaled in standards c, c', and having a pulley d, for thereception of abelt operated by any suitableinstrumentality, althoughsaid shaft may be driven directly by an electric or other motor.

E E' are grooved metallic pulleys, mounted on non-conducting hubs e, e',which latter are secured to shaft D in any preferred manner.

vPassing around these pulleys are endless bands or belts F, F', of anymaterial capable of carrying an electric current, the ordinary wire cordusedin hanging pictures being preferred for this purpose. Theseconducting suspenders pass, also, around grooved metallic-pulleys G G',mounted upon non conducting hubs g, g', secured to the lamp-shaft H,which latter generally consists of a tube, threaded at one end, as at h,forthe attachment of a head I, that carries a cluster of electric lightsJ, of any approved shape, construction and arrangement. Furthermore, agreater or less number of these lights may be employed, according to thesize of the window, four globes being suggested in Fig. 1, while six areseen in Fig. 4. Again the globes J', J seen in this last illustrationare intended tov be of dierent colors from the other globes, and thelatter may have special bands or touches of colors applied to them, assuggested at j, 7', y y" The wires for these various globes are broughttogether within the head I, and then joined to wires K K', fitted withinthe lamp-shaft H, the wire K being in communication with the insulatedpulley G, while the other wire K', leads to the other pulley G.

L is a contact maker bearing against the side of pulley E, and Z is awire that conducts one of the electric currents to said pulley. L' isanother contact maker bearing against the wire cord F', and Z' is a wirethat conducts the other electric current to said cord, thus indicatingthat these two currents may be applied in any preferred manner.

The operation of my electric light fixture is, as follows: Shaft D isdriven at a high speed and motion is communicated from it to the othershaft H, by means of the metallic Suspenders F, F', which also conductthe currents necessary to produce the electric lights in the globes.Consequently,a very brilliant illumination is afforded, and as the lampsre- Volve quite rapidly, the effect produced resembles a ball or circleof fire, with concentric zones of dierent colors in it, thereby aordinga great attraction for show windows,

IOO

&c. The lamps illuminate every part of the window Without throwing anymaterial shadows, because the shaft I-I is suspended by the fineWire-cords F, F', and as said cords can be tinned or nickeled, it willbe difficult to sce them, but after they are discovered, it will bestill more difficult for a person to understand how the device is set inmotion. Again, by making either one of the pulleys G 0r G', somewhatlarger in diameter than the other pulley carried by the lamp-shaft H, asindicated by the dotted lines G", said shaft will be caused to vibratefrom side to side of the window and thereby increase the attraction.

In this specification, the phrase freely suspended is to be understoodas defining a revolving lamp-shaft, which is not journaled in fixedbearings or other rigid supports, but is sustained by flexible bands orconnections, in order that said shaft may vibrate or swing from side toside, and also have a slight end motion, if desired.

I claim as my inventionl. A revolving shaft, provided with a numbei' ofelectric lights and freely suspended by bands that conduct the currentto said lights, substantially as described.

2. A revolving shaft H, provided with a number of electric lights, as J,and having Wires K, K', and insulated pulleys G, G', which pulleys aredriven by bands F, F', that conduct the current to said wires, for thepurpose described.

3. The combination, in an electric light fixture, of driving shaft D,provided with insulated pulleys E, E', and the shaft H, provided with anumber of lights, as J, and carrying insulated pulleys G, G', and thebands F F', that pass around the pulleys E, G, E', G', and conduct thecurrent from wires l, Z', to said lamps, in the manner described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. FLINT.

Vitnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, SAMUEL M. QUINN.

